


Braid

by smarshtastic



Series: Twitter McReyes Prompts [3]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Hair Braiding, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-06-30 21:10:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15759756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smarshtastic/pseuds/smarshtastic
Summary: But it becomes a bit of a thing - Jesse likes it when Gabe plays with his hair, and Gabe is happy to oblige. In private, whenever they have down time, Gabe’s hands end up in Jesse’s hair, and Jesse feels all the tension melt out of his bones. It’s positively divine.---Jesse discovers he likes when Gabe plays with his hair, and also discovers a secret skill of Gabe's.





	Braid

**Author's Note:**

> Another of the unbeta'd Twitter prompts - this one is for [nebulousroyalty](https://twitter.com/nebulousroyalty)! 
> 
> You can find me on [tumblr](wictorwictor.tumblr.com) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/smarshtastic)!

It’s a rare night off. Jesse is sprawled across the sofa, his head in Gabe’s lap, watching the movie with half-closed eyes. He’s tired - exhausted, really. They’ve been working around the clock, non-stop for weeks. It’s the first time they’ve managed to arrange their time off to coincide in even longer. Jesse wanted to make the most of it - have dinner together, watch a movie, get in some good sex - but his body is fighting against him. There’s no way he’s ever going to be able to get up off this sofa. It’s not even that comfortable, but Gabe’s lap is warm and his fingers are stroking steadily through Jesse’s hair. The repetitive motion feels so nice, so soothing. 

Jesse fights it for as long as possible, but his eyes are too heavy. Eventually, he succumbs to sleep. 

He wakes as the credits are rolling. Gabe’s hand is still moving in his hair. Jesse turns his face into Gabe’s thigh. 

“Sorry,” he says, muffled. “Fell asleep.”

“I wasn’t going to wake you,” Gabe says. “You were out like a light.”

Jesse stretches a little under Gabe’s hand, unwilling to move. “Uh huh.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen you fall asleep so fast. The movie wasn’t that bad, was it?”

“I was comfortable,” Jesse says. He rubs his cheek against Gabe’s thigh, his eyes sliding closed again. He nudges his head into Gabe’s hand, which has stopped petting his hair. 

“We could go to bed.”

“Mm,” Jesse says. He nudges his head against Gabe’s hand again. 

“What are you doing?”

“I like when you play with my hair,” Jesse says. He turns a little, to peek up at Gabe out of the corner of his eye. “It’s nice.”

“Yeah?” Gabe asks, his fingers picking up where they left off - scraping gently over Jesse’s scalp, running lightly through Jesse’s hair. Jesse exhales. 

“Yeah. Really nice.”

Gabe hums a little. His fingers keep stroking through Jesse’s hair and Jesse lets himself drift off again. He is vaguely aware of when Gabe lifts his other hand from where it was resting in the dip of his hip, but doesn’t protest as soon as it works its way into Jesse’s hair alongside the other. Jesse lets his eyes slide closed. He wakes up with a crick in his neck the next morning, but it was still some of the best sleep he’s gotten in weeks. 

“Next time, we’re sleeping in a real bed on our night off,” Gabe says, stretching, all of his joints popping. Jesse rolls his shoulders. 

“I can agree to that, I think.”

Gabe kisses Jesse sweetly anyway, and they dive back into their endless work. 

But it becomes a bit of a thing - Jesse likes it when Gabe plays with his hair, and Gabe is happy to oblige. In private, whenever they have down time, Gabe’s hands end up in Jesse’s hair, and Jesse feels all the tension melt out of his bones. It’s positively divine. 

One evening, Jesse is sitting on the floor with his back against the sofa, Gabe’s knees bracketing his shoulders on either side as he works on an upcoming mission plan while Gabe fusses with requisition orders. Gabe idly plays one handedly with Jesse’s hair as they both work, as has become habit for both of them. Jesse secretly thinks that it’s almost as soothing for Gabe as it is for him, but hasn’t said as much out loud. 

Jesse is more or less wholly focused on his work - right up until the pattern of movement in his hair changes. He pauses, trying to pinpoint what is different about it, exactly, but he can’t quite figure it out. Finally, he sets his tablet down and tilts his head back to look up at Gabe. 

“What are you doing?”

A sheepish look comes over Gabe’s face, a flush spreading over his cheeks. 

“Ah,” Gabe says. Jesse puts a hand to his head and feels around. His fingers close around a lock of hair. He pulls it down over his forehead, his eyes crossing as he tries to get a good look at it. 

“Did you  _ braid  _ it?” Jesse asks. 

“I can take it out,” Gabe says quickly. “I didn’t pull too hard, did I?”

“You know that ain’t a problem for me,” Jesse says. He lets go of the little braid and tilts his head back to look at Gabe again. The color is high on his cheeks. “Where’d you learn to braid?”

“I had sisters,” Gabe says, a touch defensive. Jesse raises his eyebrows. “And, well, I used to do it for Fareeha, when she was small.”

He turns around between Gabe’s knees and leans his elbow on Gabe’s thigh, resting his cheek in his palm. Jesse smiles up at him. 

“Oh, did you?” Jesse asks. Gabe nods. Jesse smiles wider. “You ain’t got no right being so adorable, Gabe.”

Gabe scrunches his face up. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Gabe says, trying to go for a serious expression. It’s undermined by his embarrassment. Jesse wiggles up onto his knees, pressing his chest against Gabe’s. He cups Gabe’s face in both of his hands. 

“You’re downright cuddlesome,” Jesse says. Gabe scrunches his face up more. 

“I’m very scary and very serious,” Gabe objects. 

“No,” Jesse says firmly. He pokes Gabe’s side. “You’re a teddy bear.”

Gabe starts to protest but Jesse leans up the rest of the way and cuts him off with a kiss. They tip sideways on the sofa, Jesse scrambling up to stretch over Gabe as he lies back on the cushions. When Jesse finally pulls away, Gabe is smiling too, a twinkle in his eye as he lies back. He reaches up to push some of Jesse’s hair away from his face. 

“What about you?” Gabe asks. 

“What about me?”

“You’re just as soft and fluffy - if not more,” Gabe says. Jesse laughs.

“Maybe. But I ain’t the one who tries to be scary and is actually a marshmallow in secret,” Jesse says. Gabe huffs. Jesse presses a kiss to the corner of his mouth. 

“It’s hardly a secret,” Gabe grumbles. 

“The strike team doesn’t know,” Jesse points out. “And they’re nosy as hell.”

“The important people know,” Gabe says. Jesse softens. 

“Like me?”

“Like you.”

Jesse kisses him again. The tablet full of unfinished reports lies abandoned and forgotten on the floor for the rest of the night. 


End file.
